1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a masonry tool which is specially adapted for extracting loose mortar from between courses of brick at wall corners and locations of restricted space. More particularly, the present invention relates to a combination mason tool for extracting loose mortar between courses of brick either along an open wall area or in a tight corner.
2. Prior Art
The art of bricklaying has existed for thousands of years and has experienced relatively little modification, particularly during the last fifty years. Most techniques of bricklaying are well known and are generally applied within the construction industry which is a very competitive field of commerce. As a consequence, the success of one mason over another depends in large part upon his skill level and ability to work efficiently. Indeed, the skilled mason who is able to work quickly will not only be in the best position to increase his profits, but will also have greater flexibility in competing for specific jobs.
A variety of tools have been formulated to assist the mason in streamlining bricklaying procedures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,383 by Brenish discloses a combination joint rake and jointer tool for raking loose mortar from between courses of brickwork at the joint and for smoothing the mortar. This tool consists of an elongated tool body with an attached sled bar which slides within the joint and flattens the loose mortar to a smooth finish. This sled bar slides along the joint as it follows a rake and carriage assembly comprising a pair of wheels and a projecting nail head which is affixed in length to project within the joint to a predetermined depth. The mason places this nail head within a brick joint and with the pair of wheels on opposing sides thereof. The tool is pushed along the joint with the wheels riding along the faces of brick on opposite sides of the joint. The nail head operates to drag loose mortar free of the joint and to dig away mortar to the desired depth. The sled bar rides within the joint after removal of such mortar to smooth the remaining mortar to a desired finish. Variations of this more recent tool design can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,662,423 by Miller; 3,237,235 by Moody; and 1,511,807 by Garner et al. Other variations of this tool are known within the industry, such as that represented on page 112 of the publication American Builder, issued August 1965.
Although jointer tools have been developed which do not include a carriage or wheel assembly (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,115) most masons prefer the combination of joint raker with carriage because of its improved efficiency. The wheels quickly roll along the brick face and properly position the raking tool (nail head) within the joint at its preselected depth. If the wheels are removed, the mason must attempt to maintain proper depth control by free hand, which typically requires greater time and energy. In such a highly competitive market, it is difficult to justify the extra time and effort required when streamlined devices such as a carriage-supported jointer tool are available.
Nevertheless, the use of the carriage and jointer tool combination has limitations. Because the joint raking tool needs to be near the contacting rim of the wheels mounted on the carriage, there is a limitation with respect to accessing corner joints. For example, where two walls abut at approximately ninety degrees, the joint raker tool has limited access to the corner formed by the abutting walls because of the blocking action of the carriage wheels. In other words, before the raker tool can advance into the corner, the carriage wheels strike against the abutting wall and prevent further access to loose mortar within the corner formed by such walls.
Typically, the mason will utilize a second tool referred to as a tuck pointer to remove mortar at the corner area. This tool resembles a screwdriver, whose end is inserted within the joint between the bricks for clearing mortar from the joint to the same depth as that developed by the joint raker. The need for changing hands between two tools becomes costly and irritating. Furthermore, the free hand motion required of the tuck pointer results in uneven joint facing within the corners as compared to the smooth joints formed by the carriage and joint raker.